Container closure



May 13, 1941. o. w. wENTz CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Mal-ch 1, 1937 :s sheets-sheet 1 s mw lNvENTOR OSCAR W. WENTz ,BW

ATTOR N EY May 13, v1941. o. w. wENTz 42,241,836

v CONTAINER cLosURE Filed March 1, 1957' s sheets-sheet 2 23-4-25 30 l l I A) 5 54 FILLING CLI'OSING CUT-OF'Fl/ JZ HECHANISH MECHANISM BENI: f

CLAMP IN VENTOR OSCAR W. WENTZ .x I ff y ATTORNEY May 13, 1941. O. W. WENTZ CONTAINER cLosuRE 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March l R. F E fr WW. 2., m w R H f 5./ Y o 2- f ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 194i Application March M1937, Serial No. 128,351

9 Claims.

- and capable of having its end portions folded intov container-closing, position or relationship, and to provide means of this character that will be easy to apply to the closed or folded container end and capable also of ease of subsequent manipulation for opening and closing the container. Another object is to provide a closure-maintaining means or device of the above-mentioned character that will be capable of having various indicia related thereto in a simple and inexpen sive manner, as by printing, particularly With respect to containers intended for use in milk distribution where it is frequently required that the container indicate the date of filling and where it is also desirable to indicate the character or grade of the liquid contents. Another object is to provide a closure-retaining means or device which can be readily and inexpensively incorporated into'the usual routine of filling, closing and closure-clamping operations upon the container. the above-mentioned character which can be easily and inexpensively incorporated into such routine and to relate to the latter an appropriate step of applying to the closure-maintaining device the desired indicia. Another object is to provide an eicient and dependable method of filling, dating or otherwise 4applying desired ind icia and closing containers such as in the milladistribution industry.

Another object is to provide a closure-maintaining device which can be easily manipulated to release the folded or closed container end. as for the Purpose of withdrawing some of the contents of the container, and then to restore the closure-retaining device after the container end has been restored or folded to closed position. Another object is to provide a simple, practical and eiclent closure-maintaining device oi' the above-mentioned character that will be well adapted to meet certain peculiar and varying conditions of practical use. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the fea- Another object is to provide a device of or more of the others, al1 as will be illustrativelyv described herein, and the scope of the application of which Will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown several of the various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of my invention,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an illustrative apparatus for carrying on certain steps in the making of the closure-retaining device of my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, as seen along the line of Figure l, showing' the closure-retaining means in one stage oil its construction;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representationof a mechanism illustrating certain subsequent steps that are performed;

- Figure i is a detached perspective view of the relationship between the closure-retaining device and a container Whose end has .been folded into tures of construction, combinations of elements,

closing y position cr relationship in the illustrated manner shown in Figure 4;

Figure 5 is a view showing the container with the closure-retaining device in place;

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the closure-retaining device or a portion thereof may be manipulated subsequently and also certain folds of the container manipulated to bring about withdrawal of the contents of the container;

Figure 7 is a. perspective view of a container showing another possible form of folding to effect a closure thereof and another manner in which the closure-retaining device may be related thereto;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, as seen along the .line 8-8 of Figure crease or fold lines whereby the upper portion v may be folded preferably to provide'aI substantially straight-line upper edge along which the upper edges of the container material are alined and interfolded. Thus, by way of illustration of tosecure together the webs themselves in they one type of foldable container closure to which my retaining device is applicable, the illustrative container I of Figure 4 has two opposed panels II, I2 which are at their upper edges or ends trative manner the upper edge portions of the container become subdivided, folded over and against each other, illustratively all along a straight line, and thus the upper end of the con tainer is closed. f In Figure 4 is shown, in perspective, a preferred form of closure-retaining device according to my invention and it is generally indicated by the reference character I6. At an appropriate stage, as is later pointed out, the device I8 is given a cross-section that is that of an may be seated over the alined folded upper edge of the container I0 and brought into a clamping relationship to the various folds to hold them in closing position.

In considering the structural features of the device I6 it may be helpful to consider one possible way of constructing it and hence reference may now be made to Figure 1. In Figure 1 I have shown at I1 and I8 two opposed pressure rolls having preferably yielding surfaces as, for example, may be arranged by providing the peripheries of the rolls I1, I8 with a suitable layer of rubber appropriately yieldable so that the rolls mayconform to certain variations or differenc'es in thicknesses ofthe material that is passed therebetween. Any suitable means, not shown, may be provided to press the rolls toward each other with a suitable pressure and also todrive one or both of them in directions to effect a feeding movement toward the right of the material operated upon by therolls.

In between the rolls are fed two webs I 9 and 29 of paper and preferably web I9 is somewhat wider than web 20. Web could be of a width, for ex'ample, just about equal to the over-all length of the topfolded or edge portion of the container I0 of Figure 4.

As the webs I9 and 20 are fed to the opposed pressure rolls I1-I8 theiradjacentfaces have applied to them, by any suitable means diagrammatically'indicated at 2| and 22, respectively, a suitable adhesive, such as glue, cements in paste-like form, and the like, and also fed in between the two pressure rolls but in between the opposed faces of the webs I9 and 20 which have the adhesive thus applied to themis a plurality of strips of sheet metal; illustratively, I haveindicated in Figure 1 three such sheet metal strips at 29, 2l and 25.

The middle strip :24 is preferably alined with the center line of the narrower web 2D while inverted U, as shown in Figure 4,so that it the outside edges of the outside strips 23 and the respective faces of the metal strips and also 75 regions intermediate of -the metal strips them- /selvesL Thus, there results a laminated structure as it emerges to the right of the pressure rolls I'I, I8, the yieldable surfaces of the pressure rolls insuring that the parts are dependably pressed together both where sheet metal is interposed between the webs and where no sheet metal is thus interposed.

Thereafter, a suitable guiding .or folding means, diagrammatically indicated in Figure 1 at 21 and 28, folds the two marginal portions and Ii!b of the lower or wider web I9 over onto the upper face of the longitudinal marginal portions of the web 20 and to an extent depending upon the widthof these marginal porti/ons I9, I9. Illustratively, they may be of a width approximating the width of the outside sheet metal strips 23 and 25, and since the marginal portions I9, I9b bear adhesive on their upper faces, they become turned down upon the upper marginal portions of the web 20 and glued thereto. Suitable pressure rolls 29 and Sii may be employed, if desired, to press these overturned marginal portions I9, ISD down into their folded position and insure that the adhesive thereon retains them in place.

In Figure 2 is shown in section the resultant band-like laminated construction, it being noted that preferably all of the contacting surfaces or formed suitable lengths may be cut on and bent into the U-shaped form shown at I6 in Figure 4 for application to the closed end of the container.

However, since containers, as, for instances, in' the milk-distribution field, are filled, closed -and sealed mechanically, I may in such cases relate, if desired, such apparatus as I describe above inv connection with Figure 1, directly to the apparatus and mechanism for handling the containers. For-example, and referring to Figure 3, I have there diagrammatically shown at 3l a conveyor along which containers I0, appropriately spaced, are moved, preferably intermittently, and thus successively brought into operative relationship to appropriatel mechanisms o r stations. Thus at A is diagrammatically indicated a filling station or; mechanism of any suitable type for measuring out a suitable quantity of material, such as milk, and pouring it into the container at that station.

At B is diagrammatically indicated the next station to which thexnow filled container is brought and at this station the upper portions of the container are folded, for instance, in` the manner shown in Figure 4 and described above. At that station or at a subsequent station, the band-like laminated material as it emerges from,

vfor example, the pressure rolls 29 and 30 of Figure l, is cut olf in appropriate lengths, bent into the above-mentioned inverted U-shape, as shown in Figure 4, brought down upon the upper folded closed end of the container I0, and then lateral pressure applied by any suitable means to bring the two sides of the inverted U-shaped' cross-section toward each other and thus securely clamp the folded container top against unfolding, opening, or separation. The mechanisin or means for thus cutting ofi thisxnaterial, bending it and applying it in clamping relationship to the container top may takev any suitable or appropriate form and in Figure .3 is dagrammatically indicated by the reference character 32. 'Ihe mechanism 32 is, of course, appropriately timed or synchronized with respect to the operations at the preceding stations, such as stations A and B.

Particularly in the field of distribution of milk, it is desirable to indicate the grade or quality of the contents of the container, also quantity closure, however, there are in theillustrative closure, only two thiclmesses of material or peper and the middle or central, sheet metal strip in the device I6 can be made dependably effective upon these two thicknesses. Where the left-hand end of the container is folded over, as

in the container, and also the date of filling.

Accordingly,v I may and preferably do provide suitable means, preferably operating just in advance of the mechanism 32 of Figure 3, for applying such indicia at appropriate intervals upon 4the band-like laminated material as it emerges from the pressure rolls 29, 30. By way of illustration, such indicia may be applied as by printing directly upon the outer face of that web, illustratively web i9, which, in the U-shaped device I of Figures 4 and 5, is to be the outer web.

This printing may be eiected by means diagrammatically shown in Figure l. Thus, for example, I may provide a suitable support or platen, illustratively in the form of a roller 33, over which the laminated material moves in a direction toward the right, and thus to support the material appropriately to permit a suitable printing device 3d, illustratively in the form of a printing roller, to impress upon the lower face of the laminated band the data or indicia that it is desired to print thereon.

Preferably the printing device 3d applies indicia in two lines within the areaor section of the laminated band material that is to become a single closure-retaining device like that of Figures 4 and 5. For example, let it be assumed that the right-hand end oi the material is to be cut onlin the mechanism 32 (Figure 3) along the two lines C, D, that being the section needed to be bent intothe inverted U-shape, as above described. Accordingly, one line of printing can be positioned relatively close to the line C. and the other line of printing relatively close to the line D, the one line being inverted with respect to the other so that when the cut-0E section is bent into U-shaped form by the mechanism 32 of Figure 3 and applied to the container, both sides of the container appear with the identifying data, or the like, and both printed matters read right side up.

f In Figure 4 illustrative printed matterisindicated and preferably it is applied to the thicker or elevated parts of the material, being those parts that overlie the sheet metal strips 23, 2d, 25. In applying the device I6 to closure-retaining relationship, illustratively by the mechanism 32 of Figure 3, it is preferable that the clampingpressure-applying means operates independently in as many regions as there are sheet metal strips within thel device; thus, where three sheet metal strips are employed, as in the illustrative embodiment, three pairs of clamping-pressure-applying means are preferably employed so that each sheet metal portionl of the device it may be dependably accommodated to the particular thickness of folded-over container edge which it is to clamp. For example, and referring to Figure 4, the sheet metal part ofthe memberl i6 at its right-hand end is made operative upon four thicknesses of paper, due to the inturned double fold I3; at the central portion of the container shown in Figure 4, it will be seen that there are six thicknesses of paper, but throughout this region the left-hand sheet metal strip in the device i6 can be dependably accommodated to that greater number of thicknesses. Also, if desired, the thicknesses o the sheet metal strips employed may be varied rather than made uniform throughout. For example, it may be preferable tomake the left-hand sheet metal strip in Figure 4i thicker than the rest in 4order to insure, if found desirable, a stronger clamping pressure at that end of the container. In use, the closure-retaining device is strong and dependable, its indicia is clearly legible, the construction permitting the use of relatively large printing type. Also, the device it will be seen to be substantially entirely encased in paper, substantially free from protruding sharp metal edges, and thus the closure is substantially free from affording injury to the fingers or the hand.

When it is desired to obtain access to the contents of the container, it is possible to do so by unbending only one end of the entire device it, illustratively the left-hand end, as viewed in Figures 4 and 5, particularly where it is `at that end that the container top portion is folded to permit of easy unfolding, as, for example, to form a pouring spout out of the unfolded double folds l@ and t5.

in such case, the left-hand portion of the device lt preferably has printed upon it a suitable indication that that is the end of the entire device l5 that should be undonaand, illustratively, such an indication might comprise the'words Lift up, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5.

Accordingly, one arm of the U-shaped lefthand end portion of the device I6 is lifted up or unbent, assuming a position or relationship like that shown in Figure 6, whence the double folds it, l5 may be unfolded into the spout. 36. In this process of unbending onlyv one of the U- shaped sheet metal members, a portion of the tervening paper may or may not tear; in Figure 6 I have indicated at 31 a partial fracture or Atearing of the paper intervening the two lefthand sheet metal strips, the remaining or untorn portion ofthe paper maintaining the upwardly bent left-hand portion assembled to the entire construction and in fact appropriately positioned for restoration when the spout 35 is folded back into the relationshipshown in Figures 4 and 5. 'Ihis clamping operation to restore the closure is one, moreover, that may be manually achieved for it is not necessary, in restoring the device to closure-retaining position to contend with any mechanical resistance on the part of other or the remaining sheet metal portions of the device i6.

Thus, it will be seen that the construction is thoroughly practical and has numerous .importaining relationship by Vhand instead of by ma- In Figure 7 I have shown, by way of illustra'.-`

tion, another possible forni'in which my device may be related to a container closure. The device is indicated :by the reference character 33 and is substantially similar .to the device I8 of Figure 4 excepting that it is not yet bent into the inverted U-shape. Here the container is again iliustratively @ade of paper, has two opposed panels 4| and I2 which are bent toward each other to ,bring their upper edges in alinement, the opposed 'ends of the upper portion o f the container being suitably folded, Illustratively inwardly at both ends, as at 43 and M, when it is desiredto effect closing of thecontainer.

- -access to the contents of the container. Simi- Y larly, 1the device 38 of Figure Tmay be provided To one of the opposed panels, Illustratively panel 42 (see Figure 8) is applied the unbent device 38 in any suitable manner, but preferably as by an adhesive, as indicated at 45, the unique i features of my invention permitting the use of a suitable adhesive in 'that the adhesive operates upon and secures .together .two paper parts, it being borne in mind, and as shown in Figure 2, that thefsheet metal parts are completely encased in paper. y

Accordingly, containers may be made up( in the manner shown in Figures 7 and 8 with the closure-retaining device i8 applied thereto and of the pressure which is applied to effect the clamping can be made to bend and bite into the material of the container. In a like manner the line of cutting at th'e other metal parts, such as the parts 24 and 25, may be given a conguration, as is generally indicated in Figure 9, to provide parts F alng one edge and staggered parts G along the opposed edge which likewise can be made to be bent or bite into the material of the container. Thus, amore secure gripping is achieved and aftigiiter fastening nf the retaining Y device to the closure of the container achieved. Also, by staggering opposed parts,` as'above suggested. and by applyingappropriate clamping pressures, Ithe lower edges of the sheet metal portions of the device when in U-shaped form can be made, with the straight-line folded closure-forming parte of the container, to partake' of a wavy or corrugated eiect, an eii'ect which can -be made to achieve great security and .tightness of fastening and sealing.

It will. thus be seen that there has been provided in this invention a container closure-retaining device in which the several vobjects herewhence the device 38 is bent into closure-retaining or clamping relationship, the U-shaped form like that shown in Figure 5, by operating successively upon the diierent sections of the device 38 corresponding to Ithe number of sheet metal strips which it embodies. Generally one single bend, hence a bend into U-shaped form, as just noted, will suffice but, if desired, the veri tical dimension of the device 8, as shown in Figure 8, may be increased or made longer in a downward direction, land the` upper closed end has a shape like that shown at C and Din Figure 1, the eiect upon the nal retaining device I8 is\to give the left-hand clamping element thereof a tab 46 which projects downwardly, as

'viewed in Figures 4, 5 and 6,-from the legend Lift up, forming a convenient tab, whichis preferably left in a slightly outwardly projecting relationship. as shown in 5, to permit easy access theretov by a linger of the hand or even the fingernail to unbend .the left-hand portion of the device I8 when it is desired to gain inbefore set Iforth, together with many thoroughly -practical advantages are successfully achieved. It will be seen that the device is simplel'inex- -pensive and rugged in construction, capable of n ease of manipulation and is,` moreover, well adapted to meet the widely varying conditions of practical use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the* mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might. be

lvaried in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the linvention, it is to be understoodthat all matter lhereinabove set forth., or shown. in the accompanying drawings, 'is 4to v illustrative and notin a limiting interpreted as sense.

I claim:

1./The ycombination with a container made of paper, or the like, having an otherwise open end closable by folding the end portions of the container wall together, one portion of said closure being capable of being unfolded toiorm a pouring spout, and closure-retaining means 'therefor structure, whereby the llatter is as a unit clamped over the folded end of the container and such of the individual clamping means operative upon said spout-forming portion may be operated to release the. latter for unfolding to form said pourins spout while leaving the'remainlng clamping means operative.

ascisse 2. The combination with a container made of paper, or the like, having an otherwise open end closable by folding end portions of the container wall together to form a straight-line closure having along its length different thicknesses made Acause individual clamping members to conform themselves respectively to said differing thicknesses.

3. A construction as claimed in claim 2 in which said individual clamping members are spaced from one another and said two non-metallic sheet materials bridge over the space between the clamping members' and are adhesively secured ytogether in said space, the spacing v.between individual clamping members being sufficient to permit the non-metallic sheet, materials that bridge there over to flex or yield according to the variations in relative positions lof the clamping members as affected by sai-d differing thicknesses.

4. The combination with a container made of paper, or 'the like, having an otherwise open end closable by folding the end portions of the container wall together to form a straight-line closure having along its length dinerent thicknesses made u-p of respectively different numbers of layers of the folded end portions, and a unitary closure-retaining means therefor comprising a plurality of individual sheet me'tal bendable members connected together by sheet material like paper adhesively secured thereto, said sheet material being sufficiently yieldable to permi-t said individual sheet metal ben-dable members to be bent in'to clamping positions to conform themselves respectively to said different thicknesses.

5. The method of making a container closure which comprises feeding two webs of non-metallic material like paper and a plurality of at or plane bendable metal parts interposed therebetween, wth adhesive Iapplied to said webs, into and between lpressure rolls, whereby portions of said webs become ilattened out against and supported by said flat Vor plane metal parts, printing onto 'the external surface of the. attened and thus supported portion of. at least one of said webs and at intervals spaced therealong appropriate identifying indicia, and severing the band-like material after it emerges from said pressure rolls at intervals commensurate with the intervals of printing to 'form individual closureretaining devices each bearing said indicia.

6. The combination with a container made of paper, or the like, having an otherwise open end closable by folding the end portions of the conclamping means to form said unitary clamping structure, whereby the latter is as a unit clamped over the folded end of the container and such of the individual clamping means operative upon said spout-forming portion may -be operated to release 'the latter for unfolding to form said pouring spout while leaving the remaining clamping means operative, said means holding said individual clamping means together comprising a sheet 'of tearable fibrous material like paper adi hesively -related to at least one side of said plutainer wall together, one portion of said closure 1 being capable of being unfolded to form a pouring spout, and closure-retaining means therefor comprising a unitary clamping structure made up of a plurality of individual U-shaped bendable clamping means, at least one of which is operative upon the spout-forming portions of said closure, and a readily frangible and exible covering means for covering over all of, and for connecting 'together and holding, said individual rality of individual clamping means, and being capable of being torn alongy that portion thereof that is adjacent to the adjacent edges of .two adjoining individual clamping means. 4 7. A. closure for containers made of ar foldable material like paper,- or the like, comprising a plurality of substantially4 alined'bendable metal parts and non-metallic means holding said parts together, the edges of said metal parts having' bendable portions cap-able of being pressed or made to bite into the material of the container.

8. The combination with a container made of paper, or the like, having an otherwise 'open end closable by folding the end portions of the container wall together, one portion of said closure bein-g capable of being unfolded to form a pouring spout, and closure-retaining means therefor comprising a unitary clamping structure ma'de up of a plurality of individual U-shaped bendable clamping means, at least one of which is operative upon the spout-forming portions of said closure, and a readily frangible and exible covering means for covering over all of, and for connecting together and holding, said individual clamping means to form said unitary clamping structure, whereby the latter is as a unit clamped over the folded end of the container and such of the individual clamping means operative upon said spout-forming portion may be operated to release the latter for unfolding to form said pouring spout while leaving the remaining clamping means operative, that individual clamping means that is operative upon the'spout-forming portions having on at least one arm thereof a tablike extension forming a finger piece whereby it may be readily unbent.

9. The method of making a. container closure which comprises continuously feeding two webs of non-metallic material like paper into face to face relationship with adhesive applied to atleast one of the adjacent faces of said webs, continuously feeding/in between said two webs a plurality of spaced 4ilat strap-like metal parts, applying pressure 'to the resultant laminated structure that comprises the two webs with said interposed spaced metal parts so that the adhesivebearing web is pressed both against the flat faces of said metal parts and against those portions of the other web intervening the spaced metal parts, printing at spaced intervals appropriate identifying indicia onto the-external flattened surface of the portion of one web overlying and attened against and supported by one of said fiat straplike metal parts, and severingthe resultant laminated b-and-like 'structure transversely thereof atintervals commensurate -with the intervals of `printing and suicient to form individual clo- 

